Baseball game



Oct. 31, 1939. w Hv BROWN 2,177,860

BASEBALL GAME Filed June 6, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2' 4 7 I A/ VE/V TOR MAL/HA flea/m BROW/K I T TOR/VEX Patented Oct. 31, 1939 PATENT OFFICE 2,177,860 BASEBALL GAME William Hogan Brown, Long Beach, Calif., as-

signor of twenty-five per cent to Virginia L.

Tryon, Chicago, 111.

Application June 6, 1938, Serial No. 212,029

' 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a baseball game wherein a ball is thrown by the player to strike a bat, when the bat is struck it will swing in a horizontal arc and the amount of its swing will be indicatedin a manner simulating a baseball game.

An object of my inventionis to provide a game of the character stated in which the movement of a bat when struck is indicated on a chart arranged similar to a baseball diamond, the indication of the bat movement being shown by means of electric lights.

Another object is to provide a novel switch means operable on movement of the bat to indicate various scoresor plays of the baseball game, suchas a one, two or more base hit and also one orf more runs.

Still another object is to provide agame of the character stated which is simple in construction, effective in operation and which is I amusing to the players.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawings, the subjoined detailed description and the appended claims. 1

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front game.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of the bat mounting and switch.

Figure 3 is a top plan. view of the switch.

Figure 4 is a wiring diagram of my game.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral I indicates a canopy or back-stop for the game, a bat mount 2 is fixedly mounted in front of the back stop and a recording chart 3 is also mounted adjacent the back stop or at some point clearly visible to the players and is electrically connected to the bat mount as will be further'described. The bat mount 2 comprises a vertical plate 4 on which the bat 5 is mounted. The bat extends horizontally as shown and is attached to a vertical shaft 6 which is journaled in bearings I, 8 mounted on the plate 4; the bearings l, 8 are preferably of the antifriction type so that the bat 5 can swing horizontally. A switch disc 9 is journaled on the bottom board II) of the mount 2. A trunnion II provides a journal for the disc 9 and is journaled in the bottom board I0; a coil spring I2 surrounds the shaft 6 and normally urges the bet 5 to the position shown in Fig. 1; that is, protruding beyond the plate 4 and extending to one side of said plate.

A chain I3 encircles sprockets on the lower elevation of the complete end of the shaft 6 and the upper end of the trunnion II, thereby causing the disc 9 to rotate as the bat 5 is returned after being struck with the ball. The shaft 6 and the trunnion II are so' geared together that the disc 9 will rotate through twice the angle that the bat 5 swings in. A tension clamp I4 engages the trunnion II for the purpose of adjusting the tension of the chain I3. The disc 9 revolves within an annulus I5 which is mounted in spaced relation to the board Ill. The annulus I5 is preferably formed of an insulating material. A fixed gear I5 below the disc 9 is engaged by a gear I! which is journaled on the disc 9. By braking the rotation of the gear H, the disc 9 is caused to rotate slowlyto its normal position or seat, thus enabling the various lights on the indicator 3 to light slowly as will be further described.

A contact arm I8 is fixedly attached to the trunnion II above the disc 9. A pawl I9 is pivotally mounted on the arm I8 and is spring pressed against a four toothed gear 29. The gear 20 is fixedly mounted on the disc 9.

Viewing Fig. 3, clockwise rotation of the arm I0 will cause pawl I9 to move over the gear 29 and engage one of the four teeth in the gear. The spring I2 then returns the arm to starting position, rotating counter clockwise, and will thus carry the gear 29 and the disc 9 with it. Thus the disc is moved counter clockwise step by step under the urge of the spring I2, as the bat returns to its normal position after being struck with the ball. A contact 2| on the bottom of the arm I8 engages a flexible contact 22 on the annulus I5. When the arm I8 is in the position shown in Figure 3, which is its normal position of rest, the pitcher light 23 will be lit to indicate that play is about to start. When the bat 5 is struck by a ball thrown by a player, the first movement of the arm :8 in a clockwise direction will cause the contact 2| to engage a finger 24 pivotally mounted onthe annulus I5. The inner end of the finger 24 will engage the first trip contact 25 which is pivotally mounted on top of the disc 9. If the trip contact is swung outwardly, it will engage a fixed spring contact 26 whereupon the light 21 at home-plate will be lit and simultaneously the solenoid hit indicator 28 will be actuated. The trip contact 25 will be held in extended position by the spring pressed block 29.

Supposing that the bat 5 has been struck with sufficient force to cause the pawl I9 to engage the first tooth of the gear 20, as the bat 5 now returns to starting position the trip control 25 will be moved counterclockwise until it engages the first base contact 30. When the contact 30 is engaged, the first base light 3| will be lit, thus indicating that a runner is on first base and a one base hit has been made. The trip contact 32 is now in the same position formerly occupied by the trip contact 25. The next movement of the bat will again swing the trip contact 32 outwardly in the same manner previously described, and as the bat returns to its normal position, the extending contacts 25 and 32 will be moved counterclockwise to engage the second base contact 33 or the third base contact 34. The second base light 35 and the third base light 36 will be lit in succession in the same manner previously described. If the bat is struck with the 3rd base light 36 illuminated, the protruding trip contact will engage the run indicator contact 31 which actuates the bell 38 and the run indicator solenoid 39. The protruding trip contact will engage the inner end of the finger 24 causing it to rotate inwardly to the position shown in Figure 3. This procedure is continued until the player misses the bat a certain number of times. A check pawl 40 is pivotally mounted on the annulus l5 and is spring pressed to engage recesses 4! on the periphery of the disc 9. There are four of these recesses corresponding to the four trip contacts on the disc, thus the disc will be stopped at the various positions to engage the light contacts as previously described.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A baseball game comprising a bat mounted for swinging movement, spring means engaging the bat to return the same to normal position, a score board, electric lights on the score board, a rotary switch, a ratchet drive for the switch, said ratchet drive being operable by the bat as the bat is swung, movable contacts on the switch, a contact arm rotatable with the bat, means engaging the movable contacts and operable by the contact arm whereby the movable contacts are swung outwardly, fixed terminals engageable by movable contacts, said fixed terminals being electrically connected to the lights.

2. A baseball game comprising a bat mounted for swinging movement, spring means engaging the bat to return the same to normal position, a score board, electric lights on the score board, a rotary switch mounted adjacent the hat, a

contact arm journaled above the rotary switch, gear means connecting the bat and contact arm, a ratchet mounted on the switch, a pawl on the contact arm adapted to engage the ratchet to rotate the switch, contacts pivotally mounted on the switch, means on the contact arm engaging the pivoted contacts on movement of said contact arm whereby the movable contacts are swung outwardly, fixed terminals engageable by the pivoted contacts, said fixed terminals being electrically connected to the lights.

3. A baseball game comprising a bat mounted for swinging movement, spring means engaging the bat to return the same to normal position, a score board, electric lights on the score board, a rotary switch mounted adjacent the bat, a contact arm journaled above the rotary switch, gear means connecting the bat and contact arm, a ratchet mounted on the switch, a pawl on the contact arm adapted to engage the ratchet to rotate the switch, contacts pivotally mounted on the switch, means on the contact arm engaging the pivoted contacts on movement of said contact arm whereby the movable contacts are swung outwardly, fixed terminals engageable by the pivoted contacts, said fixed terminals being electrically connected to the lights, and means adjacent the rotary switch engageable by the pivoted contacts, whereby said contacts are swung inwardly as said contacts pass said means.

4. A baseball game comprising a bat mounted for swinging movement, a spring means engaging the bat to return the same to normal position, a score board, electric lights on the score board, a rotary switch mounted adjacent the bat, a contact arm journaled above the rotary switch, gear means connecting the bat and Contact arm, a ratchet mounted on the switch, a pawl on the contact arm adapted to engage the ratchet to rotate the switch, contacts pivotally mounted on the switch, means on the contact arm engaging the pivoted contacts on movement of said contact arm whereby the movable contacts are swung outwardly, fixed terminals engageable by the pivoted contacts, said fixed terminals being electrically connected to the lights, and yieldable check means engaging the rotary switch and adapted and arranged to yieldably hold said rotary switch against accidental movement.

WILLIAM HOGAN BROWN. 

